10 “Coolest” Winter Festivals Around the World
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After you’ve put up the tree and hung your holiday lights, you might be looking for a little winter adventure. After all, once the kids are done with school for winter break, you’ll have a lot of time together to spend as a family. It doesn’t have to just be sledding and building snowmen (though we love doing that too!). Winter is one of the best seasons to explore your interests and come together as a community, whether that’s with food, music, or something else entirely. One of our favorite ways to explore? Visiting fun winter festivals.
From fests that embrace the cold with adorable huskies and reindeer runs to craft beer tastings that’ll leave your mouth watering, these winter festivities around the world will certainly have you feeling the travel bug! Lots of these festivals happen within the United States too, so there might even be one near you that you can visit this winter. To help ring in the season, we found the “coolest” winter festivals around the (snow) globe that are known for ringing in the holiday spirit right.
1. Fur Rendezvous Festival (“Rondy”)
Where: Anchorage, Alaska
When: February 20 – March 2, 2025
An Alaskan winter is not for the faint of heart, but chances are you’ll be glad you make the trek. The annual 10-day Fur Rendezvous is the largest winter festival in North America—not to mention the coldest! Many events, such as the World Championship Sled Dog Race and Blanket Toss, are time-honored native Alaskan traditions, while humans and reindeer square off in the Running of the Reindeer race.
2. Chinese New Year Parade & Festival
Where: San Francisco, California
When: January 25 – March 2, 2025
There’s a reason so many East Coasters flock to the “best coast” when temperatures drop. San Francisco winters are mild, and you’ll have no trouble spending most of your day outdoors at the Chinese New Year Parade and Festival. Held in one of the oldest and most established Chinatowns in the country, the festival is a must-see, with floats, lion dancers, stilt walkers, acrobats, and more.
3. Carnaval de Québec
Where: Québec City, Québec
When: February 7 – 16, 2025
What first took place in 1955 has turned into a decades-long tradition and major winter event in Québec, Canada. At the Carnaval de Québec, live music, ice and snow sculptures, night parades, ice canoe races, and plenty of family-friendly activities fill the city to celebrate the blustery season. Kids will also love to see Bonhomme during the fest, the sweet snowman and official representative of the carnival pictured in the Instagram above.
4. Glittering Lights Festival
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
When: November 8, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Wasting no time, the Glittering Lights festival has kicked off at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Every year, the speedway is decorated with more than three million festive lights. You can drive through the two-mile course, making pit stops along the way to listen to live music and entertainment from the comfort of your car.
5. Saint Paul Winter Carnival
Where: Saint Paul, Minnesota
When: January 23 – February 2, 2025
Ice fishing tournaments, a snow sculpture garden, and a fun snow stomp event? Count us in! The Saint Paul Winter Carnival has all this and more, with this 10-day festival full of activities, live entertainment, and plenty of yummy eats for adults and kids alike. Each year, they see over 50,000 visitors from all over the US and beyond.
6. Portland Holiday Brew Fest
Where: Portland, Oregon
When: December 6 – 8, 2024
Didn’t make it to Oktoberfest? The next best thing is Portland’s Holiday Brew Fest! In the heart of downtown Portland, you can celebrate the season with 30+ winter regional beers and ciders, vinyl DJs and music events, and plenty of live performers, the annual celebration under Portland’s 75-foot lit tree is the perfect place to sip and stay a while.
7. Austin Trail of Lights
Where: Austin, Texas
When: December 10 – 23, 2024
Austin, Texas’s Trail of Lights festival began as the small Yule Fest back in 1965. It was a gift to the city from the local Parks and Recreation department, and has now turned into one of the largest celebrations in the Austin community. This year marks the 60th celebration of the event, and with more than 2 million lights, 90 lighted trees, and 70 holiday displays and tunnels, it stands as one of the coolest light displays in this area of the US.
8. Charleston Wine + Food Festival
Where: Charleston, South Carolina
When: March 5 – 9, 2025
Craving Southern comfort food? We’ve got just the fix right before winter officially comes to a close. The annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival hosts more than 100 events—including lunches, dinners, cooking classes, and excursions—to feed your belly and your soul! As with years past, 2025 will bring celebrity chefs, award-winning authors, and culinary experts to the table.
9. Igloofest
Where: Montréal, Canada
When: January 16 – February 8, 2025
Jazz lovers flock to Montréal every July for the world’s largest jazz festival, but in January, electronic music takes center stage. The lively Igloofest is held over four winter weekends, for a total of 12 nights. Fight the freeze by sipping warm beverages and dancing along to sets from top-notch DJs and electronic acts.
10. Carnaval de Nice
Where: Nice, France
When: February 15 – March 22, 2025
If you’re looking for an alternative to Carnevale di Venezia and Carnaval do Brasil, then Nice Carnival is the perfect choice! The glamorous French city comes alive with live theater performances, fireworks displays, and parades of grand proportions—think decorative floats and huge paper mache figurines.
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